Boat anchor



April 2 R. w. ROSSELLE 3,030,907

BOAT ANCHOR Filed Sept. 18, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. ROBERT W. RossELLE ATTORNEY April.24, 1962 R. w. ROSSELLE BOAT ANCHOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 18, 1958 INVENTOR. ROBERT W. ROSSELLE ATTORNEY assess? 3,030,907 BOAT ANCHUR Robert W. Rosselle, 126 SW. 2nd St, Miami, Fla. Filed Sept. 18, 1958, Ser. No. 761,855 5 Claims. (C1. 114-208) This invention applies to boat anchors of the twin fluke type and has for its object an anchor consisting of a pair of flukes rigidly mounted to a shaft extending beyond said flukes and a Stock pivotally mounted between said flukes to a shaft, the angle of the flukes being limited by a cross bar rigidly mounted to said flukes.

It also has for its object an anchor with a shank forming a closed lengthwise slot along its full length for slidably receiving a ring or anchor line fastener that may be slid or moved by maneuvering the anchor line in such a manner that the ring or fastener will slide to the aft end of the shank thereby facilitating the easy removal of the anchor when fouled on the sea bottom.

A still further object is an anchor with a shank forming a closed slot with a nearly closed eye at its extreme end into which a shackle or anchor line fastener is installed, said shackle being of such dimensions that it will not slidably pass through the nearly closed eye on the stock easily thereby allowing the anchor to tumble on its cross bar when the direction of anchoring is changed due to maneuvering or tidal current change.

A still further object is an anchor with a shank forming a closed slot with a nearly closed eye at its extreme end into which a shackle or anchor line fastener is installed, said shackle being of such dimensions that it will not slidably pass through the nearly closed eye on the shank easily thereby allowing the removal of a fouled anchor by maneuvering a boat onto which the anchor line is attached in such a manner that when a greater than normal force is applied to the shackle in a direction opposite to the normal anchoring direction and forcing the shackle to slidably pass through the nearly closed eyeon the stock thereby allowing the removal of a fouled anchor by retrieving it with the shackle at the fluke end of the stock.

Another object applies to boat anchors of the twin fluke type having a pair of flukes rigidly mounted to a shaft.

The points of said flukes extending outwardly from a stock which is pivotly mounted to said shaft, the angle of said flukes with respect to said shank being limited by a cross bar rigidly mounted between and onto said flukes thereby allowing the flukes to pivot on their shaft and allow the anchor to tumble or naturally assume a position compatible for allowing the flukes to secure themselves to the sea bottom.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary detailed view of the free end of the shank showing the frictional engagement of the showing the position of the shackle in dotted lines preparatory to freeing the anchor.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 refers to my anchor comprising a shaft or stock 19 having a pair of spaced apart flukes 17 attached thereon. The flukes 17 are provided with a bar" 16 in spaced parallel relation with the shaft 19 and extending between the flukes 1'7 with its ends Welded or otherwise secured to inner edge portions of the flukes 17.

The shaft or stock 19 extends through a cylindrical housing or sleeve 18 wherein it is rotatably positioned, with a shank 12 secured at one end to the housing 18. The shank 12 as best noted in FIGURE 3 is constructed of a length of a rod bent at its mid-portion and returned on itself with the ends 15 secured to the housing 18 as shown. The shank 12 forms a pair of elongated slotted portions 20 and 21 receiving a closed shackle fastener or ring 11 which is slidably mounted on the shank 12 with a narrow neck portion 13 joining the slots 20 and 21. The neck portion 13 is formed by bending the rod as at 14, 14 in a direction toward each other. at the bent portions 14, 14 is slightly less than the diameter of the metal rod forming the ring 11 so that the ring 11 is normaly prevented from sliding from the slot 21 to the slot 20. However, the metallic rod of which the shank 12 is constructed is slightly resilient so'that a hard pull on the ring 11 will cause the leg portions of the stock 12 to yield slightly and permit the ring 11 to slide into the slot 20 as shown in dotted lines by FIGURE 3. The

bar 16 limits the swinging movement of the flukes 17 with relation to the shank 12 as best shown by FIGURE 3.

In the normal use of the anchor 10, the ring 11 is secured to an anchor chain 22 and when dropped over the side of a boat the flukes 17 will rotate within the cylindrical housing 1-8 to a position wherein the bar 16 abuts against the inner surface of the shank 12 as shown by FIGURES 1 and 3. Upon the application of a pulling force on the anchor chain 22, the flukes 17 will dig,

plow or otherwise securely imbed themselves into the sea bottom.

When the anchor 10 is about to be retrieved from its anchored position in the sea bottom, the anchor chain 22 is drawn or pulled on board, the upward force on the ring 11 causes the anchor 10 to pivot about the shaft 19 and the shank 12 to swing upwardly in an arc. The shank 12 swings until the inner surface of the stock 12 abuts against the bar 16, then a continued upward pulling force on the anchor chain 22, will cause the flukes 17 to swing in unison with the shank 12, thereby commencing to dislodge the anchor 10 from the sea bottom. After the shank 12 and flukes 17 have swung upwardly sufficiently to swing the flukes 17 completely out of the earth of the sea bottom, the anchor 10 has become freed and a further pulling force on the anchor chain 22 will bring the anchor 10 to the surface of the sea.

If the anchor 10 becomes wedged or fouled for any reason, it can be dislodged as is shown graphically by FIGURE 6. There the anchor 10 has become wedged or fouled by a tree trunk. In this situation with the use of a conventional anchor, either the anchor chain is broken by the continued pull applied thereon in the attempt to dislodge the anchor or a diver is sent down to remove the.

anchor from its wedged and fouled position.

Howeven the present anchor 10 can be dislodged by Patented Apr. 24, 1962 The width of the slot 13 nothing more than pulling on the anchor chain 22 as explained herein. Upon moving the boat up stream, the anchor chain 22 which was previously at position A new assumes the position with relation to the anchor 10 as indicated by the letter B. At this position, the ring 11 has slid rearwardly along the shank 12 to the position of the neck 13, as shown by FIGURE 4, where it becomes secured against further movement, while the anchor 10 remains immobile. The anchor 10 cannot become dislodged even now, since a pull on the anchor chain 22 tends to cause the flukes 17 to swing upwardly about the shaft 19 as an axis. However, the heavy weight of the tree trunk prevents any swinging movement of the anchor .10.

Now by a repeated jerking or pulling on the anchor chain 22 with a greater than normal force, the ring 11 will cause the legs of the shank 12 to yield and permit the ring 11 to slide along the slot 20 to the ends 15 of the stock 12. Now any further pulling force applied on the chain 22 will be in alignment with a plane passing through the flukes 17. As a force is being so applied on the chain 22, the flukes 17 will slide out of the opening formed beneath the tree trunk that the flukes 17 wedged themselves into and the anchor 10 then becomes dislodged and easily retrieved.

The anchor 40 shown by FIGURE operates on the same principle as explained above in connection with the anchor 10, but is only slightly different in construction, differing in the manner in which the shank 12 is pivotally secured to the shaft or stock 19. The shaft or stock 19 of the anchor 40 is provided with a pair of spaced apart lugs 31 welded or otherwise secured to the shaft 19 at one end and extending at right angles thereto. A pin 32 extends between the lugs 31 and has rotatably mounted thereon the cylindrical housing 18 to which the shank 12 is secured as explained hereinbefore. The shaft 19 now extends within the confines of the slot 20 and limits the swinging movement of the stock 12 with relation to the flukes 17. In one extreme position, the shaft 19 will abut against one leg 15 of the shank 12 and at the other extreme position, the shaft 19 will abut against the other leg 15. As in the anchor 10, the shackle 11 cannot slide beyond the constriction 13 without the application of a strong force when the shackle 11 will slide to the ends 15 of the shank 12 to effect the disengagement of the fouled flukes 17 as described hereinabove.

That which I claim as new and to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An anchor comprising shaft means, fluke means secured to said shaft means, elongated shank means extending in a plane normal to said shaft means, means rotatably mounting one end of said elongated shank means to said shaft means, said shank means having a pair of slots and an opening joining said slots, shackle means slidably mounted on said shank means and normally positioned in one of said slots at the free end of said shank means, said shackle means being constructed and arranged to frictionally engage said opening, and means for preventing the relative rotational movement of said shank means and said flukes beyond a predetermined position whereby application of a pulling force on said shackle means toward said shaft means effects a limited rotational movement of said shank means and a sliding movement of shackle means past said opening to the opposite end of said other of said slots.

2. An anchor comprising shaft means, sleeve means rotatably mounted on said shaft means, a fluke secured to said shaft means on each side of said sleeve means, elongated shank means extending in a plane normal to said shaft means and secured at one end to said sleeve means, said shank means having a first slot at the free end of said shank means, an elongated slot extending in the direction of said one end and a constricted opening joining said first slot with said elongated slot, bar means extending between said flukes and through said elongated slot whereby upon the relative rotational movement of said shaft means and said sleeve means said bar means impinges on said shank means and limits the relative swinging movement of said said shank means and said flukes and shackle means slidably mounted on said shank means and normally positioned in said first slot, said shackle means being constructed to frictionally engage said constricted opening upon the sliding of said shackle means in the direction of said elongated slot and sliding into said elongated slot upon the application of substantially greater than normal force on said shackle means in the direction of said sleeve means.

3. An anchor comprising a shaft, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said shaft at substantially its mid-portion, a fluke secured at one end to said shaft on each side of said sleeve, said flukes lying substantially in a plane, an elongated shank formed of a length of a rod bent on itself, forming leg portions extending in a plane normal to said shaft means and having end portions secured to said sleeve, said leg portions being bent in a direction toward each other to form a constricted opening adjacent the free end of said shank, a bar having end portions secured to said flukes and extending between said leg portions whereby upon the pivotal movement of said shaft, said bar impinges against said leg portions and prevents a relative swinging movement of said flukes and said shank beyond a predetermined position, and a ring slidably positioned on said shank, said ring being normally positioned at said free end of said shank and adapted to frictionally engage said leg portions at said constricted opening when slid in the direction of said end portions of said shank.

4. An anchor comprising shaft means, fluke means secured to said shaft means, elongated shank means extending in a plane normal to said shaft means and operatively connected at one end to said shaft means, said elongated shank means having an elongated slot extending from said one end in the direction of said other end, a second slot adjacent said other end and a substantially constricted opening joining said elongated and second slots, a shackle slidably mounted on said shank means and normally positioned in said second slot, said shackle being constructed and arranged to frictionally engage said shank means at said constricted opening whereby upon the application of greater than normal forces on said shackle toward said one end said shank means will yield at said constricted opening and permit the sliding of said shackle to said elongated slot.

5. An anchor comprising a shaft, a pair of flukes lying substantially in a plane secured at one end to said shaft, a pair of lugs secured at one end to said shaft and extending in a direction substantially opposite to said flukes, a pin extending between said lugs, a cylindrical housing rotatably mounted on said pin, an elongated shank constructed of a length of rod bent upon itself to form a pair of spaced apart leg portions secured at one end to said cylindrical housing, said shaft extending between said leg portions to limit the swinging movement of said shank relative to said flukes, said leg portions being bent in a direction toward each other adjacent the other end to form a constricted opening, a shackle slidably mounted on said shank and normally positioned at said free end, said shackle being constructed and arranged to frictionally engage said shank at said constricted opening whereby upon the application of greater than normal forces on said shackle said shank will yield and permit the sliding of said shackle to said elongated slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,112,864 Stahlberger Oct. 6, 1914 2,490,423 Fearn Dec. 6, 1949 2,576,390 Danforth Nov. 27, 1951 2,612,131 Benedict Sept. 30, 1952 2,722,191 Johnson Nov. 1, 1955 

